_THE HYÆNAS AND AARD-WOLF._
If every animal has its place in nature, we must suppose that the hyæna's
business is to clear up the bones and such parts of the animal dead as the
vultures and other natural "undertakers" cannot devour. Hyænas have very
strong jaws, capable of crushing almost any bone. In prehistoric times they
were common in England, and lived in the caves of Derbyshire and Devon. In
these caves many bones were found quite smashed up, as if by some very
large wild animal. It was supposed that this was done by bears--Dean
Buckland said "by hyænas." He procured a hyæna, kept it at his house, and
fed it on bones. The smashed fragments he laid on the table at a scientific
lecture beside the fragments from the caverns. The resemblance was
identical, and the Dean triumphed.
The hyænas are carnivorous animals, with the front limbs longer than the
hind. The tail is short, the colour spotted or brindled, the teeth and jaws
of great strength.
[Illustration: _Photo by A. S. Rudland & Sons._
SPOTTED HYÆNA.
The largest of the carrion-feeding animals. A South African species.]
The BROWN HYÆNA, or STRAND-WOLF, is an African species, with very long,
coarse hair, reaching a length of 10 inches on the back. It is not found
north of the Zambesi; and it is nocturnal, and fond of wandering along the
shore, where it picks up crabs and dead fish. Young cattle, sheep, and
lambs are also killed by it, and offal of all kinds devoured.
The SPOTTED HYÆNA is a large and massive animal, the head and body being 4
feet 6 inches long without the tail. It is found all over Africa from
Abyssinia and Senegal southwards. A few are left in Natal. It is believed
to be the same as the cave-hyæna of Europe. By day it lives much in the
holes of the aard-vark (ant-bear); by night it goes out, sometimes in small
bands, to seek food. It has a loud and mournful howl, beginning low and
ending high. It also utters a horrible maniacal laugh when excited, which
gives it the name of Laughing-hyæna. "Its appetite," says Mr. W. L. Sclater
in his "South African Mammals," "is boundless. It is entirely carnivorous,
but seems to prefer putrid and decaying matter, and never kills an animal
unless driven to do so by hunger. Sheep and donkeys are generally attacked
at the belly, and the bowels torn out by its sharp teeth. Horses are also
frequent objects of attack; but in this case shackling is useful, as the
horse, unable to escape, faces the hyæna, which instantly bolts. It is an
excellent scavenger, and it has been known to kill and carry off young
children, though the least attempt at pursuit will cause it to drop them.
Many stories are told, too, of its attacking sleeping natives; in this case
it invariably goes for the man's face. Drummond states that he has seen
many men who had been thus mutilated, wanting noses, or with the whole
mouth and lips torn away. This is confirmed by other authors." Drummond
gives an instance of seven cows being mortally injured in a single night by
two hyænas, which attacked them and bit off the udders. Poisoned meat is
the only means to get rid of this abominable animal.
[Illustration: _Photo by A. S. Rudland & Sons._
SPOTTED HYÆNA.
The jaws of the hyæna are specially made for cracking hones. They will
smash the thigh-bone of a buffalo.]
Sir Samuel Baker says: "I can safely assert that the bone-cracking power of
this animal is extraordinary. I cannot say that it exceeds the lion or
tiger in the strength of its jaws; but they will leave bones unbroken which
a hyæna will crack in halves. Its powers of digestion are unlimited. It
will swallow and digest a knuckle-bone without giving it a crunch, and will
crack the thigh-bone of a buffalo to obtain the marrow, and swallow either
end immediately after.... I remember that once a hyæna came into our tent
at night. But this was merely a friendly reconnaissance, to see if any
delicacy, such as our shoes, or a saddle, or anything that smelt of
leather, were lying about. It was bright moonlight, and the air was calm.
There was nothing to disturb the stillness. I was awakened from sleep by a
light touch on my sleeve, and my attention was directed by my wife to some
object that had just quitted our tent. I took my rifle from beneath the mat
on which I lay, and, after waiting for a few minutes sitting up in bed, saw
a large form standing in the doorway preparatory to entering. Presently it
walked in cautiously, and immediately fell dead, with a bullet between its
eyes. It proved to be a very large hyæna, an old and experienced
depredator, as it bore countless scars of encounters with other strong
biters of its race."
[Illustration: _Photo by L. Medland, F.Z.S._] [_North Finchley._
STRIPED HYÆNA.
This is the Hyæna of Northern Africa, Palestine, and India.]
[Illustration: _Photo by A. S. Rudland & Sons._
AARD-WOLF.
The aard-wolf stands in a family by itself. It is allied to the hyænas, but
is a far feebler animal.]
The STRIPED HYÆNA is found in India as well as in Africa. In portions of
Abyssinia these animals are so numerous that on the Nile tributaries Sir
Samuel Baker used to hear them cracking the bones after supper every night
just as they had been thrown by the Arabs within a few feet of the deserted
table. In this way they are useful scavengers.
THE AARD-WOLF.
This small African hyæna-like creature stands in a family by itself. The
animal is like a small striped hyæna, with a pointed muzzle, longer ears,
and a kind of mane. It is common all through South and East Africa, where
it lives on carrion, white ants, and lambs and kids. It has not the strong
jaws and teeth of the dog or hyæna family. The colonists commonly hunt and
kill it with fox-terriers.
[Illustration: _Photo by New York Zoological Society._
YOUNG GREY WOLF.
The grey wolf of North America, which once preyed mainly on young bison
calves, is now a formidable enemy to the increasing flocks of sheep and
herds of cattle in the north and west.]
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